Performance Grants and Fellowships

Music scholarships and fellowships are awarded on the basis of performance ability and musical promise and are competitive across the applicant pool. In addition to the Presidential Scholarship and general Performance Grants, we offer scholarships to outstanding entering vocal students through the Bain Vocal Fellowships and to instrumentalists via Instrumental Ensemble and Keyboard Fellowships. Every auditioning student is considered for a scholarship. (See our Auditions and Applying page for requirements.) Some scholarships are specifically for music majors, while others are awarded to students for participation in ensembles regardless of major.

Bain Vocal Fellowships

Growing from a generous bequest of Wilfred Bain, founder of the Houghton College Choir and pre-eminent American music educator, the Bain Fellowships are awarded annually to the outstanding soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and baritone/bass entering first-year student. Recipients are usually music majors, though in cases of exceptional merit an award may be made to a non-major. Fellowship holders will participate in choral and chamber ensembles as well as Houghton Lyric Theater. Consideration for these fellowships is concurrent with entrance auditions to the School of Music. Bain Vocal Fellowships are renewable annually based on maintenance of appropriate criteria.

Instrumental Ensemble and Keyboard Fellowships

Houghton Ensemble and Keyboard Fellowships are awarded for excellence in musical achievement and for participation in chamber, collaborative, and large ensemble music-making while at Houghton College. Recipients will have opportunities for solo, chamber, collaborative, and large-ensemble performances, both on-campus and in the greater Buffalo and Rochester areas. Fellowship recipients may also be eligible for other merit-based awards. Audition for these fellowships is concurrent with entrance auditions to the Greatbatch School of Music, or by special audition for those not intending a music major. These fellowships are open to all talented musicians and renewable annually based on maintenance of appropriate criteria. For Keyboard Fellowships, excellent sight-reading skills are required in addition to other audition criteria.

Performance Grants

The typical holder of a performance grant will be a talented student (any instrument or voice part) choosing a Bachelor of Music curriculum or, in some cases, possessing solid skills on an instrument of particular need to our major ensembles or programs.